


Bobbing

by DoctorBilly



Series: Tales from the Billyverse [6]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Billyverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-17
Updated: 2014-10-17
Packaged: 2018-02-21 14:13:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2471126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoctorBilly/pseuds/DoctorBilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Billy explains why he freaked out at the Yarders' Halloween party.</p><p>Tags: Let's write Sherlock challenge 16; prompt=Something Wicked (Halloween); bullying; apple phobia</p><p>Set some time between <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/2164599/chapters/4732854">No Stairway To Heaven</a> and <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/2205123/chapters/4832097">The Other One</a></p>
            </blockquote>





	Bobbing

"...and that's why I can't eat apples. Just the thought of eating one makes me a bit panicky. I cross over the road if I have to pass a greengrocer's."

Billy laughs.

"Kids can be evil to each other, can't they?"

Sherlock nods. 

"Yes. I had some dreadful times at boarding school too."

The two men sit companionably on the fire escape outside Greg Lestrade's flat. Sherlock lights a cigarette, takes a deep drag and passes it to Billy. 

"So when Sally asked you to take charge of the barrel, and you swore at her, it wasn't personal."

"No. And I'd have explained if she hadn't thrown a Granny Smith at me."

Sherlock laughs, a deep, rich guffaw. 

"You should have seen her face when you screamed."

Billy giggles.

"I was too busy running away."

Sherlock's mouth twitches. 

"Artie took some photographs…"

Billy sighs. 

"Are they on Instagram yet?"

"Yes. They're very good."

Lestrade comes out to join them. 

"I was going to make toffee-apples, but after that little performance this afternoon…"

Billy grins. 

"Fuck off, Greg."

Lestrade smiles, tousles Billy's hair. 

"How can I have known you this long and not know you had a morbid fear of apples?"

"It's just never come up as a subject. And your fruit bowl is always an arty foody arrangement of lemons."

"What brought it on?"

"I was telling Shezz earlier. It was my first year at boarding school. I was eleven. There was a Halloween party the week after half term. Ghost stories, games, that sort of thing…"

He goes quiet, closes his eyes, remembering again. 

Sherlock nudges Lestrade's arm

"Um. You might want to change the subject…"

Billy opens his eyes. 

"No, it's all right, Shezz." He goes on. "I was really little when I was a kid, Greg. I didn't start getting tall till I was sixteen."

He pauses again.

"We had a big wooden barrel for apple-bobbing. We had to do it properly, hands tied behind our backs so we couldn't cheat. When it was my turn, two of the class bullies picked me up and pushed me head first into the barrel."

Lestrade frowns. 

"Where were the teachers?"

"They were there, but they weren't looking at everything all the time. It didn't take long for them to notice, only seconds, really. But they couldn't get me out. They had to tip the barrel over to let the water run out. I thought I was going to drown."

"Wicked little bastards."

"Yeah. I got a lot of stick afterwards for ruining the game."

"How was it your fault?"

"It always was. If the bullies got into trouble for bullying me, they'd just bully me more. I learned to keep my head down and not tell tales."

"Bill, if I'd known…"

"It's all right. I'll call Sally and apologise for swearing at her later."

Lestrade smiles, grimly.

"Aren't school days meant to be the best days of our lives?"

Billy laughs. 

"Not mine."

Sherlock ruffles his hair.

"Not mine either."

Lestrade smiles faintly. 

"Next year we'll keep you well away from the apple-bobbing."


End file.
